150 Students Involved in Wootton High School’s Production of ‘Hairspray’ Which Opens Tonight and Runs 3/28-30 & 4/4-6

More than 150 Students at Rockville’s Wootton High School Gearing up for Performances of the Broadway Hit “Hairspray”

Hairspray plays at Thomas S. Wootton High School – 2100 Wootton Parkway, in Rockville, Maryland. Performances are March 28 and 29 & April 4 and 5 at 7:30 PM with 2 PM matinees on Sunday March 30 and April 6.

The blockbuster Broadway musical Hairspray, set in Baltimore in the 1960s, is coming to Rockville’s Wootton High School for two weekends this Spring.

Cast members of ‘Hairspray’ in rehearsal.

More than 150 students, including actors, musicians and crew, have spent weeks gearing up for the performances, alongside a large team of teachers and community members who are overseeing the ambitious production.

Hairspray was set in 1962 in Baltimore, when teenager Tracy Turnblad wanted to dance on a local television program based on the real-life Buddy Deane Show. When Tracy wins a role on the show, she becomes an overnight celebrity and quickly meets a quirky group of characters, such as Corny Collins, the show’s singing host who shares her liberal views, and Velma Von Tussle, the villainous producer. Tracy quickly launches a campaign to integrate the show, exploring through music and humor the racial injustices that tainted American society in the 1960s.

The musical’s original Broadway production opened in 2002 and won eight Tony Awards, running for more than 2,500 performances over seven years. Hairspray’s Book is by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan. Music is by Marc Shaiman, with Lyrics by Mr. Shaiman and Scott Wittman.

Wootton drama teacher Jessica Speck said Hairspray was an easy pick for the school’s Spring show. “It’s one of the rare shows that has a tremendous amount of featured roles and the music is just so good,” said Speck, who is directing the production along with Musical Director Carla Ingram. “You cannot get away from how great this music is. It’s so catchy. The show ends on this huge high. I can’t imagine that anyone would come and not love the experience. You’re going to walk out dancing.”

Corrieanne Stein (Tracy Turnblad). Photo by ClintonBPhotography.

More than 70 actors were cast, including junior Wyatt Oring as crooner Link Larkin, and seniors Jeffrey Morse as Edna Turnblad and Corrieanne Stein as Tracy Turnblad. Stein is a member of Actor’s Equity who has performed both locally and on Broadway. Another 45 students are in the orchestra, led by instrumental music teacher Carolyn Herman, and 40 more are overseeing lights, sounds and props.

Speck is particularly excited about the set for the show, which was commissioned from a professional theater in Kansas City and features a heightened fantastical perspective.